Your Inner Child
by StrugglingTheatreStudent
Summary: When Pitch returns shortly after being defeated, Jack and the other Guardians are bound and determined to keep Jamie and Sophie safe. However, plans change when their babysitter accidentally gets involved. Can the Guardians work with a mere mortal in order to defeat Pitch, or will Pitch fulfill his dreams of domination?
1. A Scream In the Night

**Author's Note: **

**This is the first fan fiction I have ever written. Most of the things I have written have been drabbles and other things that have all been original writings. Please, if you can/are willing to, review. I'd really love to develop myself more as a writer. **

**Take note: I do not own any of the characters in this story besides my original character. **

**Thanks for reading, **

**STS**

* * *

Chapter 1

"ANNA!"

The sound of a child screaming for you is the worst sound to wake up to, even if the child isn't your own. I had been sleeping on the couch, waiting for the parents to come home from their gala, but the sound of Sophie's scream jolted me awake. I fell off the couch, still dazed from sleeping, and quickly ran up the stairs. My heart was pounding in my chest as I flung open the door. I expected to see Sophie in her bed, but she wasn't there. Panicking, I looked around the room to find her on the floor. She was huddled in the corner of the room with her older brother, Jaime. He was pressing Sophie's head into his chest protectively as if he were hiding something from her. I let out a sigh of relief. If they had been missing, I would have been sobbing. There was nothing more terrifying I could imagine as a babysitter.

"Jaime," I asked quickly. "What—?"

"It was Pitch!" Jamie whispered frantically. "The Boogeyman was here! I saw him and so did Sophie!" He pointed under the bed. "He's down there!"

"Oh, sweetheart." I knelt down on the floor next to them both and put my hand on Jaime's shoulder. "The Boogeyman's just an old story that's used to scare people. He's not real. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Sophie pulled herself away from Jaime and latched onto my torso. I could feel my sweatshirt get wet with tears. "But he here! He here under the bed!" She cried.

I furrowed my eyebrows and turned around to face the bed. It was a regular sized bed, but with an oversized comforter. Someone did have the potential to hide under it, but Sophie always hid her toys under his bed. There was no way a person could hide there.

"Let's go check then." I murmured as I walked towards the bed.

"NO!" Sophie and Jamie shrieked simultaneously. I jerked to a stop and turned around. Sophie's lower lip began to tremble which broke my heart. Walking over once again, I sat down on the floor next to them. She scrambled to me once again as I pulled her close.

I rubbed her back as she continued to sob. Shushing her, I told her. "It's alright. I'm here. Nothing's going to hurt you. Not while I'm here." When I looked up at Jamie, he nodded. "I mean that." I told him. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"Even..." Sophie sniffled. "Even from Pitch?"

I chuckled. "Even from Pitch." I ruffled her blonde curls as she snuggled closer to me. _Whoever he is. _I thought to myself. "But, we do need to go to bed." I was almost positive that their parents would kill me if their kids were still awake.

"Can…can you tell story? Like make up ones? Not ones we know?" Sophie asked, ever hopeful.

I smiled. "Sure, squirt. Now come on, get in bed. There's nothing to be afraid of!"

The two children looked at each other skeptically before quickly bounding into Jamie's bed. I chuckled and sat on the bedside as they snuggled down into the blankets. When they had finished shuffling, I began.

"Once upon a time…"

It took about a half hour before they both finally nodded off. _Success. _I thought to myself, smiling. Slowly, I rose from the bed, careful not to jostle the sleeping children. As I maneuvered myself around the darkened room carefully, trying to avoid bumping into anything, I stepped on something sharp. I cried out in pain as I felt a sharp pain in the bottom of my bare foot. As I lifted the bottom of my foot to inspect the minor cut, I noticed a piece of glass where my foot had been. _How did this get here? _I looked around and finally found the source near the wall. Jamie's nightlight was broken. Somehow, the bulb had exploded. I looked at the broken bulb inquisitively. _Was this why they were scared? _I thought. Upon further inspection of the socket, I realized that it had been exploded through power surge. It had to of been, otherwise the pieces of glass wouldn't be black. I rubbed my thumb against the glass, hoping to get the soot off. The glass stayed black. There was absolutely no residue on my hand. Perplexed, I rubbed the glass more. Nothing.

_Oh well. _I thought to myself. _It's just a light bulb. _I would tell their parents when they got home what happened. The light bulb wasn't too big of a concern.

As I limped out of the room, I felt a slight cold breeze. I turned, but there was nothing there. The window wasn't even open. I shrugged to myself. _I need sleep. _

Had I believed then, I would have seen two people in the room that night.


	2. A Dream From the Past

**Author's Note: **

**This chapter is slightly longer than the last. I hope that appeases people. Also, I'm finishing this chapter very late at night, so please forgive me if there are a plethora of grammatical errors. **

**Criticism is welcomed and greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks, **

**STS**

* * *

Chapter 2

I got home finally at two in the morning and slept till eleven o'clock. My body hurt from all the activities from yesterday, especially my foot, so I planned to stay at home instead of going out. If someone were to tell you that taking care of kids were easy, they'd be lying. Kids, or at least Jamie and Sophie, were very rambunctious. They were so full of imagination, wonder…

"—and Nate said he wanted to hang out with us this weekend. I thought you were 'interested' in him, you know?"

I shook my head to shake myself from my reverie. "I'm sorry, Peggy, can you repeat that?"

"Were you even paying attention, Anna?" Peggy asked me, sounding slightly annoyed. I could almost hear her condescending lip twitch that she always did through the telephone.

"I'm sorry, I just got distracted." I admitted, combing my fingers through my hair. Twisting one of my awkward curls in front of my face, I asked again. "Now can you please repeat what you just said?"

"I said that Austin is having his party tonight and it's Halloween themed! I figured you would want to come because everyone's going to be there. So, are you coming?"

I grimaced. "I don't think so, Peggy. You know I—."

"Anna, seriously? All you do is babysit those kids down the street go to school! You should do something else with your free time other than sit at home."

"But this is the time I get to relax! I was with you every weekend last month and I need some alone time." I argued.

She sighed. I could sense her frustration. "Alright. I'll see you at school on Monday, okay?"

"Sure thing, Peggy."

I pulled my cellphone away from my ear and tossed it on my desk after I heard the 'click' of her disconnection. Shuffling over to my bed, I flopped down onto my comforters and sighed. I wasn't being antisocial. It was the truth; I was tired and I spent time with her a great deal. Then again, Peggy was right too. I did have a lot on my plate. Between babysitting and school, my days were filled up usually. This day off was something I really needed.

_RING RING RING. RING RING RING. _

Great.

I groaned and walked back over to my desk to my spazzing phone. It was Jamie's mother. _She never calls on the weekends. _Cocking an eyebrow, I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Anna! I'm sorry I'm calling you on your day off." She chuckled a bit.

"Oh, it's totally fine!" I responded, trying to mask any sign of fatigue. "What can I help you with?"

After a ten minute conversation, I finally hung up with my neighbor. Instead of being frustrated like I thought I'd be, I was ecstatic. She had just asked me to babysit Jamie and Sophie for an entire week! Not only was she going to pay me a rather large sum of money, but I would also get to spend time with the kids I loved the most. Jamie and Sophie were the two siblings that I wish I had (unfortunately, my parents only wanted one child), and apparently they were just as excited about the news as I was.

I flopped back down on my bed, grabbing a handful of blankets and pulling them close. Closing my eyes, I snuggled into them and sighed. It was time for a long, deserved, and much needed nap. It didn't take me long to drift off…

_I opened my eyes. _This isn't my room. _I thought to myself as I looked around. After my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I noticed there was a nightlight in the corner of the room. Bending over, I inspected it. It was Sophie's. Turning around, I finally noticed where I was. Sure enough, I was in Sophie's room. She was sleeping soundly, smiling in her sleep while golden eggs—wait, what? _

_ Sure enough, there were golden eggs dancing in circles above her head. The eggs appeared to be made up of golden sand. _She's so obsessed with Easter that she dreams about it! _I thought to myself with a smile. _

_I was about to leave the room when I noticed the room get darker. There was a tingling in my spine. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Panic suddenly filled me. Spinning around, I turned face to face with a tall figure. He was so pale it looked grey. Dressed entirely in black, he was dark and slim. His amber yellow eyes burned with some unknown anger. I thought he was going to attack me as he advanced forward, not even walking but gliding, but when I almost screamed he walked right through me. Confused, I turned around. He was headed straight for Sophie! Looming over her sleeping form, he chuckled. _

_ "Such a wonderful dream." He commented to himself. With a simple touch to one of the eggs, he turned them all into black, monstrous forms. She started writhing in her sleep, mumbling and whimpering. _

_A sudden rage consumed me. "Leave her alone!" I screamed at him. He never turned around. Panicking, I looked down at myself. _Why can't I do anything? _I stopped myself. Who was I kidding? It was a dream, especially my own. There was nothing I could do. They couldn't hear me. I was forced to sit back and watch as my nightmare continued. _

_Suddenly, Jamie burst into the room. "Sophie!" He exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed and woke her up. The tall man grinned from ear to ear with devilish delight. Sophie awakened and looked from Jamie to the figure. Her eyes grew as round as saucers as she hid her face in Jamie's shirt. "It's okay, Soph." Jamie said defiantly. "Pitch can't hurt us. The Guardians will come!" _

"_You think your Guardians will always be there for you, Jamie?" The figured mocked. "Where's Jack now? Where's your beloved Easter Bunny?" _

_I furrowed my eyebrows. _Guardians? What Guardians? Did they mean the parents?

_Jamie quickly picked up Sophie and rushed to the corner of the room. He looked with hope to the nightlight on the wall. Sophie's nightlight was the one chance of keeping Sophie from fearing him. The boy leapt towards it, but the figure in black shot something dark and sand-like towards the socket. When the sand reached it, the bulb exploded._

_ The room immediately darkened. The figure began to laugh and Jamie panicked. As soon as he reached Sophie, she screamed. _

_ "ANNA!" _

_ I froze. _Oh my God. There's no way. _What I was thinking seemed too radical. Was this possibly what happened the night before? Was this some kind of sick and twisted explanation for Sophie and Jamie's belief in….what was his name?_

_ Lo and behold, a projection of me burst through the door. The figure transformed into a shadow and slunk under the bed. _

_ "Jamie!" My projection exclaimed. "What—?" _

_ "It was Pitch!" Jamie whispered frantically._

_ I couldn't take it anymore. It all seemed too real. Sinking down to the floor, I hugged my knees as I watched myself comfort the kids. All the while, a set of yellow eyes watched us from under the bed. I was mortified. Terrified. Scared. _Was that under the bed the entire time I was with the kids? I should've checked. I'm so stupid!_ I mentally chastised myself._

_ After my projection left the room, I expected to wake up. However, I didn't. I stayed in the room for a bit longer, wondering when I'd wake up, until something flew by the window. Immediately, I rose. _

_ It was a boy, about my age. But he was _flying. _His pants were torn and frayed; his blue sweatshirt was covered in frost and dirt. Piercing blue eyes searched the room, framed by brilliant white hair. A pale hand grasped a long, wooden staff. I was mesmerized. What was I seeing?_

_ I looked back down under the bed. The eyes were gone. The figure had to of snuck out when I was panicking. Thank the Lord he left. _

_ The boy opened the window carefully. Jamie, who had always been a light sleeper, immediately woke up and smiled in relief. _

_ "Jack!" He exclaimed quietly as he hopped out of bed and ran to the boy. _

_ The boy, Jack, smiled and embraced him. "Hey there, kid. Everything okay?" _

_ He shook his head. "Pitch was here!"_

_ Jack's expression darkened. He looked around the room skeptically. "Jamie, are you absolutely sure?" _

_ Jamie nodded enthusiastically. "He gave Sophie a nightmare and was about to attack us!" _

_ "What happened?" Jack asked as he knelt down on one knee and leaned against his staff. Jamie definitely had Jack's full attention. _

_ "Pitch came in here and gave Sophie a nightmare, but then I came in and he threatened us, but then Anna showed up and saved us so Pitch left!" _

_ Jack cocked his head to the side. "Anna? Who's that?" _

_ "Our babysitter." Jamie responded. "She scared Pitch away!" _

_ Jack pressed his lips together and frowned as if he were deep in thought. "I'll have to talk to the Guardians." He turned back to Jamie. "Now this is serious business. If Pitch comes again, you call for me or the others, understood?" Jamie nodded, then Jack added. "Or you can call for the babysitter. She obviously does something to scare Pitch off." Jamie nodded again. Jack chuckled and ruffled the young boy's hair. "Now you get some sleep, okay?" _

_ "Okay." Jamie agreed, yawning. He slipped back into bed as Jack exited through the window, flying off into the night. _

It was then that I woke up. Never had I been so confused and slightly freaked out by a dream…nightmare…whatever someone could consider that. It seemed so implausible, having two people not visible while I was there. Then again, Jamie and Sophie talked about them all the time. Was it possible that I was missing something?

One thing was for certain: I would ask Jamie and Sophie exactly what happened that night.


	3. The Protector of Winter

**Author's Note: **

**I'm incredibly sorry for the lateness in updating. School's been difficult lately, especially with finals this week, but I'll hopefully be posting a lot more since I have a bit more free time than usual! **

**Again, criticism is welcome and greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks, **

**STS**

* * *

Chapter 3

"So, Sophie, do you remember what happened last week?"

A week had passed since I had the dream. Jamie, Sophie, and I were in their kitchen coloring with a giant box of Crayola crayons. There were papers scattered everywhere, each with their own array of color splotches, squiggle marks, and random scribbles. Jamie looked up from his drawing to look at me questioningly. Sophie kept her head down, determined to finish her drawing of a giant kangaroo.

"Pitch came in an' you came an' saved us." Sophie said. She stuck out her tongue as she continued coloring.

"Who's Pitch?" I asked, looking between the both of them.

Jamie furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't you remember us telling you? He's the Boogeyman."

"I thought the Boogeyman was just 'the Boogeyman'."

"Nope." Jamie shook his head. "His real name's Pitch Black."

I swallowed, trying to figure out how to word what I wanted to say. "Is he big and scary?" They nodded, so I continued. "What does he look like?"

"Really tall an' really pale an' really dark." Sophie stated. "An' he gots these big yellow eyes." She cupped her hands around face and made her eyes as wide as they could be.

Jamie jumped up from his chair, went over to his craft drawer, and pulled out an array of pictures. He quickly sorted through them and pulled out a particularly black drawing. "He looks like this." He stated.

Hesitating, I took the picture out of his hand. I gasped. Even though it was a child's drawing, it still had a great resemblance to the figure I saw in my dream a week earlier; the one figure that had me scared for Jamie and Sophie. Quickly, I put the picture back on the table face down. Jamie looked up at me, confused.

"Are you okay?" Jamie asked. "You're really pale."

"I'm fine." I told him. Of course I was lying, but I needed to make sure they wouldn't be as scared as I was at the moment. I pushed back my chair and stood up. "I'll be back, I have to go to the bathroom."

"You can't see him unless you believe in him." Jamie said.

I froze and turned around. "What'd you say?"

"You can't see any of them unless you believe. That's why you didn't see him when you came in the room."

"But it's impossible, Jamie." I sputtered. "The Boogeyman's a myth—."

"Is Santa a myth? What about the Easter Bunny? Or the Sandman?"

"Jamie, I don't—."

"You can believe in them, Anna." Jamie coaxed. "I know you can. If anyone, try Jack Frost."

"Jack Frost?" I asked.

"Yup!" Sophie exclaimed. "He in here!"

"Jamie…" I pleaded.

"Try!"

I sighed. _Why? Damn it, why?_ Those were stories that I was told as a child. My parents told me in second grade that they weren't real. Of course, I cried for most of that day, but I moved on like all kids do. There was no way that they could be real now. How could they be? I was never given a sign other than what my parents did to make me believe they were real.

But my dream was so real. And the kids saw both the Pitch person and Jack…_oh God…that was Jack Frost._ Now it made sense. So if Jamie and Sophie saw them…then…

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. _Okay. Jack Frost is real. He was in Sophie's room when I left._

I opened my eyes. Instead of two kids, there were three: two in the chair and one teenager, my age, in the air. Of course, I screamed. Jack flew above Jamie and Sophie and put his hand over my mouth before I could react. Jamie was laughing hysterically at my reaction and Sophie was cheering while clapping her hands.

"Jeez, I know it's a bit scary, but could you calm down a bit?" Jack Frost asked.

"B-but if I knew you were… then that means…oh God, I'm going to puke." I put my head in my hands as I sat down back in my chair. Everything was spinning. _People just don't appear out of thin air. It's impossible. I'm dreaming again. I'm definitely dreaming again._

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" I looked up to see Jack looking down at me, genuinely concerned.

"You're…you're all real." I said. I had originally meant to word it as a question, but I knew the answer already. Jack nodded to confirm my fears. "Then that means…that means that the Pitch guy was really here last week."

"Yeah, he was here." Jack stated, frowning. "I'm guessing they told you?" He looked to Jamie and Sophie, who were running to my side.

I nodded. "And I saw you too, but you were in a dream." He opened his mouth to ask a question, but I cut him off. "Don't ask me how, I don't know."

"I knew you knew something." Jamie declared excitedly.

Suddenly, I thought of something. It was definitely something that I didn't want the two kids to hear. "Can you and Sophie go in the living room? I need to talk to Jack about something."

Jamie looked up at Jack questioningly. Jack nodded his head and motioned for him to leave. The small boy took his sister's hand and reluctantly went to play in the living room. I sighed and looked up at the boy, who was only two inches taller than me.

"What would this Pitch dude want with an eight year old and a four year old?" I asked. "There had to be some reason that he specifically attacked them."

"We're not really sure." Jack stated.

"Are you—wait, who's w_e_?!"

"The Guardians. North, Tooth, Sandy, and Aster." When I gave him a confused look, he explained. "Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. We protect the children of the world from any threats."

I took a deep breath, letting it sink in. It wasn't so hard now accepting all this…weird stuff. "Like this Pitch guy?"

"Yup. You know, you can just call him Pitch, since that's his name after all." He commented, chuckling.

"For being a frost boy, you certainly are kind of serious." I said.

"Only when I have to be." Jack said with a twinkle in his eye. He then composed himself. "But, seriously, we need to make sure that they stay safe. We want your help."

"My help?" I laughed. "I'm not sure how well I'm going to do against…Pitch."

"You've done fine so far." Jack stated. "I promise, the Guardians are just a shout away. We just need to make sure that they're safe while we're doing our…duties. All you have to do is what you're doing now."

I looked back into the living room. The two kids were sitting on the carpet, laughing as they played a simple board game of Chutes and Ladders. If I could keep Pitch at bay by just walking into a room, then it should be easy to keep them safe. They were my primary concern. Always.

"I can do it." I said, nodding.

"Thank you so much…uh…"

"Anna." I grinned.

"Jack, but you already knew that." He said with a wink. Quickly, he grasped my shoulders and hugged me. "Thank you so much."

As he pulled away, I gasped. His body was cold, but not freezing cold. I shivered and folded my arms to get warm in my sweatshirt. Flying over to the window, he propped open the pane and yelled as he flew away. "Remember, I'm a shout away!"

I sighed and turned back to the living room. _This week's going to be interesting. _


	4. The History of Spirits

**Author's Note: **

**I managed to write this chapter in about two hours. Surprisingly, I feel rather accomplished even as I write late at night. We're getting really close to the good action soon, so stay tuned! **

**Again, criticism is welcome and greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks, **

**STS**

* * *

Chapter 4 

"I heard everything, you know." Jamie stated matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes as I opened the blanket and laid it out on the floor. "Yeah right, kiddo." We were in the middle of making a pillow fort for the night, but we had to make it 'the fluffiest fort ever', of course. The two kids brought in every blanket and pillow in the house. Apparently, this wasn't going to be mediocre. This was going to be a grand display of plush architecture.

However, Jamie kept bothering me about my conversation with Jack. He kept on saying that "he had never looked so scared" and so on. I tried to keep him from dwelling on the subject, but he was persistent.

"I know it was about me and Sophie. I just know it."

"Jamie, can you hand me that pillow over there?" I asked him, trying to get him off track. He lowered his head and lollygagged to the other side of the room to get the pillow. I smiled. _He's good. _

When he came back, he raised his head. It was the facial expression I was expected. I was going to give him a retort for the excuse he would have, but it never came. He looked genuinely concerned. "Anna…what's he coming back for?"

"Who, kiddo?"

"Pitch." He said softly. "I asked the other kids and nobody got a visit from Pitch. Why does he want us?"

I knelt down on the floor so I could be at eye level with him. "Jamie, I have no idea what's going on. I know you're scared and to tell you the truth…" I paused. I didn't want to admit it, but I had to for his sake. "I am too. This is something new for me, all this magic business. But you know what?" He looked up at me hopefully. I smiled. "I'm going to do my best to make sure nothing happens."

Jamie paused. "But what if something does happen?"

"We've got…we've got Jack and the Gatekeepers."

"You mean Guardians."

"Right." I chuckled, messing his hair. "I'm still getting the hang of this."

Just then, Sophie came blundering into the living room, her blanket in tow. Her thumb was in her mouth and her eyes were drooping. "Movie." She mumbled.

I laughed and picked her up. Jamie followed me to the pillow fort as I set her down. Then I popped _Tangled_ into the DVD player, since it was Sophie's favorite. Jamie claimed that he only liked the movie because of Flynn Rider, but I knew he was lying. It didn't take them long to fall asleep, for they were snoring by the time Rapunzel was free from her tower. Detangling myself from them was a challenge, but I eventually squeezed my way out. I made my way through the house until I got into the kitchen where I first met Jack. There was a bit of frost on the window. I smiled, putting my warm finger on the glass.

"You rang?"

I jumped from the window. Jack was floating outside, laughing at me. Although my heart was beating a million miles a minute, I managed to put my finger to my lips. He raised his eyebrows and nodded, copying my motion with his hand. I opened the kitchen window for him and he easily glided through the open space.

"You scared me, Jack! I could've woken them up!" I hissed.

"Sorry!" He replied, smiling.

"No, you're not. I know you better than that."

He chuckled. "You may know me, but not that well. You know me from what you've been told."

I nodded. "True, but the same applies to you about me, Frostbite."

"Whoa." He commented. "Getting fancy with the nicknames, aren't we?" I giggled so loudly that he shushed me, but that only made the both of us laugh harder. We tried so hard to stay quiet and, miraculously, it worked. After we had calmed down, there was moment of silence before Jack spoke up. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Like what?"

"Well," Jack started as he levitated to sit on top of the kitchen table. "I only know the stuff that Jamie and Sophie tell me about you. Even the Guardians don't know you that well. The only thing I could get from North was that you've been on the Nice List your entire life."

"At least that's a plus." I commented. "What do you know so far?"

He thought for a moment, putting a slim finger to his lips. "Your name's Anna, you live here in Burgess, and you babysit those two." He pointed to the living room. "Other than that, I know nothing about you."

"Well…" I pondered. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to tell him. "I'm seventeen, I live with my parents down the street…and I'm an only child?" I shrugged. "I'm not that exciting."

"You haven't lived for that long." Jack stated, also shrugging. "Life gets more exciting the longer you live—well…if you're mortal." He gave a soft chuckle and looked out the window to the sky, but I could tell he was slightly upset.

"How…how long have you…who are you exactly?"

He looked back to me. "You want to know everything?" As I nodded, he sighed. "Well, here it goes."

He told me his entire story. His original name was Jack Overland, a nice, mischievous young fellow with brown hair and big brown eyes. As expected, he was a trickster and a playful spirit. The children of Burgess loved him, especially his sister. One day, he and his sister were ice skating on a frozen lake. The ice under his sister was cracking, but he managed to save her by using a game of hopscotch and a stick which would eventually become his staff. Although he saved his sister, he couldn't save himself. The ice broke from underneath him and he drowned in the cold water. However, the Man in the Moon saw how selfless and courageous he was and decided to make Jack a spirit. His skin paled, his hair turned snow white, and his eyes transformed into an icy blue. Jack was given the power over snow, ice, and wind. From that day onward, he was called Jack Frost.

"I've been Jack Frost for three hundred years." He said, smiling.

My eyes widened in amazement. "You don't look like it!"

"That's the cool part." He stated. "I have to live forever, but I don't have to have an old guy body like North. I'm stuck as a seventeen year old."

There was a moment of silence. I could only assume that he was letting me absorb the information I had just heard, and I was grateful. It was a lot to take in. I was still trying to believe the fact that he was real. After a moment, I finally gathered the courage to ask the question I had been dying to ask.

"What about Pitch? What can you tell me about Pitch?"

I could tell that Jack was going to have difficulty talking about the subject. He seemed a little perturbed. There was obviously some sort of personal amnesty between them. "I don't know as much as the others, especially North," He admitted. "But I can tell you what I know."

He launched another story. Earlier that year, Jack had been asked to become a Guardian. The reason for this was because the Man in the Moon saw that Pitch Black was coming back. The Guardians needed someone else to be on their team to help defeat him, and that person was Jack. Pitch was wanting to plunge the world back into the Dark Ages, a time period in which everything was pitch black and everyone was afraid. By doing this, he would also rid the world of the Guardians. He was succeeding at it as well. By taking the dream sand that the Sandman had created and making it into Nightmares, he could control a child's dream. One by one, Pitch made the light of hope go out of almost every child. Every child, that is, except for Jamie's. There was a giant final battle in which the children of Burgess and the Guardians fought against Pitch and his Nightmares. Pitch lost his battle and was dragged back into his lair by his own creations. Everyone thought he was gone…until now.

"I'm not sure what's going on now." Jack stated. "Even the other Guardians are confused. Nothing's come up on the globe—."

"What's the globe?" I asked.

"It's a giant globe of the earth, but it shows the light of every child." He declared. "Pitch has messed with it before, but there's been no sign of him messing it up whatsoever."

I thought for a moment, and came up with a realization. "Do you think Pitch wants revenge for his loss by getting Jamie? You said Jamie's light was the only one that didn't go out."

Jack scratched his head. "It would make sense. Then again, why involve Sophie?"

"I don't know." I grumbled, crossing my arms. "But if he gets near them, I'll give him nightmares."

"I like your bravery," Jack complimented. "But it won't be easy. Pitch is super powerful."

"I scared him the first time he came." I stated. "What makes you think I won't be able to handle him again?"

"One, that was one time. Two, you know who he is and he'll know you can see him. And three, he knows who you are and that you know us."

I froze in my chair. I could feel the muscles in my body tightening. _Great. Just great. _"So what am I supposed to do?!"

Jack slouched on the table. "I don't know, but I promise I'm here to help whenever I can." He stood up on the table and started levitating to leave, but I grabbed his ankle.

"Don't leave." I pleaded. "I can't do this on my own. I don't know what to do!"

He floated back down to the floor so that he could stand in front of me. Like last time, he hugged me tightly. "It's going to be okay."

"You keep telling me that!" I yelled. Jack quickly put his finger over his lips, shushing me. I forgot the kids were in the other room, so I lowered my voice. "How do I know it's going to be okay?"

"Because," He simply stated as he flew out the window. "You believe."


	5. The Ruler of Darkness

**Author's Note: **

**This definitely is the most exciting chapter I've written so far. Don't worry; there will be more chapters like this in the future. There's much more excitement to come. Personally, I'm excited about more interactions between Anna and Pitch, but that might have to wait a while. **

**Again, criticism is welcomed and greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks, **  
**STS**

* * *

Chapter 5

I walked back to where the kids were sleeping in the living room and smiled. Both of them were still inside the massive pillow fort, surrounded by plush and fleece. Sophie was curled up in a ball with her blanket wrapped around her head like a headscarf and her thumb in her mouth. Bits of her massive, curly hair stuck out of the pink fleece. Her breathing was slow and gentle, unlike when she was awake and running around. Jamie was right beside her, snoring softly into his own blanket which he had wrapped around his torso. He had his arm protectively around his sister as if just his arm could keep anything from harming her.

As quietly as I could, I tiptoed into the fort and sat by Jamie. Gently, I reached out and brushed his hair out of his face. I loved both of them as if they were my own siblings. In a way, they were. I knew Sophie for her entire life. In fact, I was there with their entire family when she took her first step. Jamie was almost the same way. He used to be a small kid, but he grew up so fast. For being so young, he was such a stout little guy. He was so brave for his sister.

That was when I started crying. There, in the semi-darkness of the living room, I choked silently on my tears. Hot tears steadily poured down my cheeks as I put my hand over my mouth to keep me from crying out too loudly. It was just so much to handle. I knew I had to be there for the both of them, to keep them protected from Pitch, but I didn't know how. Never in my life had I dealt with something even close to this. Jack had explained to me the horrors that Pitch could unleash. What could I, a normal seventeen year old, do against a powerful force that was thousands of years old? Against Pitch, I was nothing. Basically, I was an ant and he was a boot. Even my best efforts wouldn't keep him from getting near them.

And the business with Jack and the Guardians? It was so difficult accepting something that I had so easily forgotten long ago. Now that my imaginative past had come back, I didn't know what to believe anymore. Jack was nice and a great…spirit, but things had been so much easier when I didn't believe. Believing made everything difficult. If I hadn't been so curious that one night, I wouldn't have ever gotten into this mess.

The toughest part was that I was trying so hard not to feel the way I was feeling. I didn't want to be like this, especially in front of Jamie and Sophie, but in the quiet of the night when everything was so dark, I had to face the fact that I was afraid.

I eventually was able to calm myself down. With my breathing back to normal, I was able to stop crying my eyes out. Sniffling, I wiped my eyes with my sweatshirt, finally stopping my tears. My head hurt from my sudden outburst, but I definitely felt better than I had before.

"How touching."

I immediately jumped up, careful not to jostle Jamie or Sophie. Upon seeing the owner of the voice, my mouth dropped. Once I saw the pale skin, black clothing, and yellow eyes, I knew immediately that it was the person I was totally afraid of. To my confusion, he seemed surprised.

"Aha, so it's true. You _can_ see me now," Pitch chuckled darkly as he circled…no, glided around the room. "Convenient."

I tried to form words, but all that would come out were incoherent mumbles. I wasn't sure what I should do. _How do I respond to him?_ _Do I make threats? Do I beg and plead? What do I do?! _

"What did the old man North say your name was again?" Pitch paused for a moment, putting a slim finger to his chin as if he were thinking. I was about to answer when he interrupted me. "Ah, yes. Anna. Anna Evans." He observed me for a minute before commenting, "Not much if you ask me. Short. Quiet. A bit chubby too, if you ask me. How pathetic," He seemed disgusted by my apparent incompetence. "And here I thought I was going to be given a challenge."

"G-get out." I finally managed to say quietly.

Pitch feigned surprise. "My word, she actually speaks!" He laughed aloud, a sound that sent a chill down my spine.

I managed to regain my composure once more, this time with more energy. "Get out." I growled, curling my hands into fists at my sides.

Upon noticing my sudden audacity, the Boogeyman's expression suddenly darkened. His amber eyes narrowed into thin slits and his pupils as they focused on me. Drawing himself up to his full height, he advanced towards me threateningly. If I had any courage before, it left me. As Pitch stalked towards me, I grew weak at the knees. The fear I had crippled me so much that I fell backwards and almost hit the kids.

Jamie, slightly jostled by my fall, woke up. Upon seeing Pitch, he gasped and clung to Sophie, who also woke up. She was a bit bleary eyed, but as soon as she realized what was happening she began to cry. I dove towards them, holding them in my arms.

"It's okay, guys. You're going to be okay." I whispered to them, trying to stay calm even as my voice noticeably shook.

Pitch cackled, making me grow even more nervous than before. "You honestly think that your pathetic babysitter can contend with me?" He asked the children, "I can _feel _her fear. And let me tell you, darling," He chuckled as he turned his attention to me. "It's like a drug."

"Leave her alone!" Jamie exclaimed, trying to squirm out of my grip to stand up. I quickly shushed him and pulled him back down.

Sophie squirmed in my grasp and moved closer to me. She pulled her small hand up to my ear and whispered, "W-where Jack?"

"Oh my God…" I mouthed. Jack had even said it: _We're just a shout away. _I inhaled quickly, and screamed as loud as I could.

"JACK!"

Pitch glared at me. "Why you little imbecile!" He shouted. The Boogeyman waved his hand forward, pointing at me, and a stream of black shot towards me. I tried to pull away from it, but it wrapped around my ankle and slowly made its way up my calf. Frantically, I clawed at the substance, but I couldn't get free of it. _Sand. _I thought to myself in horror. _Just like the black stuff in the nightlight._

The grip around my leg tightened as I was pulled towards the Boogeyman. As I tried to pull away, Pitch grabbed my upper arm and pulled me to my feet. I could hear the sound of Jamie and Sophie's pleads as I stared into the amber eyes of Pitch. He was definitely furious, but I was even more concerned when his expression softened. Leering at me, he spoke softly.

"You'll do quite nicely as a distraction for them, won't you?"

I didn't get a chance to ask him what he meant, for as soon as I opened my mouth I started screaming as I was plunged into a deep, dark hole. Clawing the space around me, I expected to make contact with something, but I never did. I kept falling, down deeper and deeper. _Am I going to die? _I thought frantically, but then I suddenly hit solid ground_._ Scrambling to my feet, I looked around me.

I was in the middle of a forest. There was no light, not even from the moon which was hidden behind the clouds. The forest was extremely dark and I was completely alone.

"JAMIE?!" I yelled. "SOPHIE?!"

There was no answer. _Oh my God. He's still in the house with them. _I started breathing heavily. What could I do? There was nothing I could do. Jamie and Sophie were at the mercy of Pitch.

"Anna?!"

I twisted around. "Who's there?" I asked.

My question was answered when Jack suddenly appeared in front of me. "Why are you calling me in the middle of the woods? Where's Jamie?"

I started breathing faster. "Jamie and Sophie…they're back at the house…why aren't you at the house?!" I asked, losing my breath.

"You were the one who called me! I come to the one who calls me!"

"But…oh God…" I was getting dizzy. Everything was spinning. I felt like I was drowning because I couldn't breathe. There were more inhales than exhales. "I'm…having…a panic…"

Everything turned black as I collapsed on the cold, forest floor.


End file.
